If this is the case, then I hope you’ve been off doing some pretty fantastic things instead. Things like eating chocolate gateau, drinking champagne, dancing like a maniac, laughing so much that your stomach muscles hurt the next day, kissing all manner of cute people and things…and dressing up in ridicous outfits, well, just because you can!

But, well, yeah there’s no escaping the fact that it’s been a month between posts:

It’s been a month because it’s been very busy. Fun busy, though. And when fun busy happens, I’m having to tell myself to let go a bit and just enjoy it…because fun busy times aren’t always around, and when they are, they cannot last forever. Then, when they are over there’s a shit load of time to fill. You must keep busy throughout these voids to stop you getting twitchy and blue. That time is when you catch up on your posts, admin and homework. This is, I feel, the way it should be.

Once it got to around two weeks without not only posts, but not even uploading and sorting my photos (*gasp*), I have to admit, I sort of lost my usual dilliagent count of where I was at with photos. As it has been, for most of the year, the whole “photo a day concept” ebbs and flows. It’s just the way it is. Some days I just don’t, or can’t find opportunity, whilst other days I might find myself in several places where I’m surrounded by nothing but potential, inspiring subjects. So I like I said, I’m learning…no, actually….I HAVE learnt to let go of self imposed guilt on this matter….

I found that I was beating myself up about not fitting in with the criteria of the project. Then I realised that, hey, actually, this is MY project, MY criteria, MY rules. I’m not being paid for it. I’m not getting in trouble or fired for being a late. Noone will be more disappointed with myself than ME for not completing it. And it’s a project that I started and continued for the sole purpose of MY creative and personal growth. So on that basis, why was I stressing? I’m at a point where I know I’ll finish it. I’ve simply come too far for quitting to be an option.

Y’bloody know what? As it turns out, after 300 days, this project has become a habit. It’s always in the back of my mind, and as a result, tonight when I sat down and went through the painstaking process of sorting, editing and labelling all the photos, I’m actually bang up to date. Phew!

Sorry about all the dogs this month. It’s really IS meant to be a people project. But I met cute dogs, with cute names, and who let me cuddle them….and sometimes dogs are just easier and nicer to deal with than people (and they can’t say NO to my request, when I’m feeling fragile and tired)

Speaking of ‘No’… I think I had three no’s in this photo set. That brings me up to approx. fifteen no’s for the total project. Of 300 images. That’s a positive and valuable lesson right there.

I hope you can see from the photos what a busy and fun month it has been: markets, a Festival of Transitional Architecture, a trip to Sydney, Zinefest…all things that I have contributed to or earned in some way or another through creative and career based efforts. It was a month of payback.

What you can’t see, however, are all of the amazing people and friends I spent the month with, old friends and new, from Christchurch and beyond. You can’t see the dancing. The hugs. The gin. The food. The Skype sessions across the world. The outfits. The playlists. The swoons.

A lot of my subjects have been asking about my project, what is is, why I do it, and how long I’ve been doing it for. And in recent weeks, I say “Since Jan 1!!!”. And then I think “WOW. THAT’S ALMOST A YEAR AGO. A YEAR! I’M ALMOST THERE!!!!” And I am. Two months to go. And as we enter daylight savings, longer nights, and the social calendar opens up, I know I can do this. I got through those horrible few months of winter where I’d drive the empty CBD streets at 5pm, in the rain, on my way home for work, as daylight vanished, desperately seeking someone, just ANYONE, to take a picture of. Those days are over, dead, gone, behind me. Dog days are over! There is literal light ahead. Woot!

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I’m really excited about this week of photos. I stumbled across this amazing mix of people who are full of life and character. They all have “swagger”.

However there’s one photo I want to give special mention to today – mainly because it involves my Father. I was on the phone to him earlier tonight, and all day I’d been thinking “I must remember to tell Dad this story, I must not forget.” But then we talked about dogs, work, films, all the usual stuff, and the story completely slipped my mind.

But I know that he reads this. He always tells me that he keeps up with my life via Facebook and this site (or my Mother throws her laptop under his nose when he’s trying to read the paper in the mornings, whether he likes it or not). Therefore I will now tell this story, to my Dad, but it’s okay, you can read it too – because feeling like you’re listening in on a conversation can be quite fun and I’m all for providing you with many of life’s weird and varied experiences:

Hey Father. The other evening, I was walking the dog, or “Mister big head” as you like to call him, in town.

We went around the park, then past the museum, as we usually do. As always, I’m acutely aware of whether I’ve gotten my photo for the day or not. At this stage, towards the end of our walk, I had not yet achieved my photo. The streets were emptying and things were looking bleak on the old “character” front.

Just as I started to think “oh bloody hell, I’m never going to find anyone,” I noticed a man, hovering around a large bus, which was parked at the Christ’s College side of the museum. He was wearing a retro baseball cap, a bright pink scarf, and was carrying multiple plastic bags which were so full they looked about ready to burst. I wasn’t sure if he was associated with the bus, or just chilling on the pavement. But I decided he was the one for me.

As I always do at this moment, I got my camera ready, took a big breath, then put on the awkward facial expression that I do for any approach- a mixture of a smile and anxiously furrowed brow. It’s an expression that I hope conveys the message of “hello, please don’t be mean, because talking to you takes a lot of courage, and I’ll probably cry if you yell at me. OKAY?”

So I approached the man, explained my project, and asked if I could take his photo. Thankfully he smiled, seemed flattered to be asked, and said yes. Once I’d got the shot, as per usual, I asked his name.

“Bernie.”

Now to those of you, who are not my Father (or Mother, hi Mother) let me explain this bit to you. Before my folks left Christchurch, two and a half years ago, my Dad worked at the Canterbury Museum. For most of those twelve years, even when I was still living at home as a teenager, my Dad would always recall stories about this guy that he worked with. A sweet, slightly eccentric guy called Bernie.

Ofcourse, the penny dropped. It was THE Bernie. Bernie from the Museum!

“ZOMG! YOU USED TO WORK WITH MY DAD!” I blurted out.

We exchanged a few niceties. He asked after you, then, quite seriously, said this:

“You know. To tell you the truth. Your father and I didn’t always see eye to eye on things. But I’ve come a long way since then, and I’ll tell you what – I’ve bloody missed him since he left.”

To which I kinda just laughed and went “aww” at. Because though you never told me about any specific clashes, I can see exactly how you both would have disagreed on certain things.

So there you go Father, though this strange project, I met your infamous Bernie.

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And even now, I’m still kinda shocked at how my project is making Christchurch smaller than I ever imagined (and, geez, I already thought of it as small). As the year goes on the strange coincidences and connections are increasing. Which is rather bloody wonderful.

CAPD Street Art exhibition opening, as mentioned a couple of posts ago…you can still go, it’s on for two more days!

The lady outside the Cardboard Cathedral was my second subject attempt for that day. The first, a lady just across the park, sitting on a bench, surrounded by 20 ducks (I don’t know how or why) REALLY yelled at me when I approached her for her photo *welp*…

…but, still, I think I’ve only had 10-15 rejections this whole project. That’s now less than 1%. Maybe I’m getting better at my approach? Maybe I can judge the situation better? Or maybe I’m just really lucky?

I love little more in life than a good cape, so I was delighted when I spotted Maisie at the Riccarton Farmers Market, and to think that I was still to I learn of her glorious Vadge Badge…

…not only was Riccarton Farmers Market great for photos, but it also sells the best early morning hangover cure know: pan fried dumplings and enough fresh, doughy, carbs to make Dr Atkins keel over in disguist.

Much of the past week, and the next ten days, will be spent at the cinema, as it’s time for the NZ International Film Festival. So expect a number of cinema goers to feature…

…my artistic contribution to the NZIFF this year is to Tweet a summary of every film I see in emoji form. Yeah, so that’s me, making profound, political and earth shattering contributions to the Twittersphere each and every day…well that, and my endless and critical thoughts on toast and David Bowie (@loumagooo btw, come say hi if you’re so inclined)

Right. I think I know you well enough by now to be able to instinctively read you mind what what you feel like watching…I think you want a swoony new song by Ryan Adams, accompanied by great hair, better jackets and even better boobs. amiright or amiright?

Same time next week, then?

xo

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I’m currently listening to the White Stripes, kinda just imagining me and David Bowie in a White Stripes covers band. It could be a real money spinner. I’d have to be Meg, of course, on account of the fringe and fantastic drumming capabilities. Dave, well, I’ll carry him along on my sweet sweet beats.

Anyway, I digress.

Another two weeks down and what a bloody fun two weeks it’s been. We kicked that horrible little motherfucker, July, into the trash and licked the face of August – which despite often being the coldest month of the year, we get a bit more daylight and glimpse of “Hallmark Spring” you know, daffodils and lambs and babies in blossom trees.

As I upload these pics to Flickr each week (or two) I’ve almost filled a whole widescreen with thumbnails. Like, I look at it and go “whoa, it’s a proper bloody collection!!” – and at over 220 photos, I guess it really is.

Highlights of weeks 30 & 31:

Uh, Dr Sketchy’s Kanye night. Such a great night. Such great people. I won a Kanye badge and got to draw Kanye, dinosaurs and boobs. My subject, Willow killed it with her poses and I struggled to pick one shot of the many she gave me.

Last Saturday I went to Shop Eight, in new Regent St, one of Chch’s new breed of restaurants. They were hosting their first “light hearted social event” which is basically a dinner party with 16 strangers. The place is great anyway, but if you add to that amazing food, a little too much wine, like minded individuals, and some dancing – well it’s a good time, innit? If you’re in Chch and like beautiful food, or are inclined to take part in something like this, I strongly suggest you look them up. Even if hanging out with beautiful strangers isn’t you idea of fun, just go for dinner sometime. It’s well lush.

As a result I have a few gaps in my pics and captions especially from that night – I clearly had my phone out as I asked the questions…but useful answers, meh, not so successful.

Last Friday I went to a friends birthday drinks and who did I run into, but the beautiful Rebecca. If you’ve been following this project from the early days, then you have seen Rebecca before. She was my photo subject on 2 Feb. She was heavily pregnant, tying streamers to a large tree in the Botanic Gardens, look, HERE she was. Well, on Friday she was with her partner Alec, and that bump which I captured in Feb, is now a 6 month old baby boy called Archie. It was too good an opportunity to miss and I had to shoot Rebecca again.

Meeting Rebecca was another example of how doing this project leads to some weird and wonderful random connections and events. The reason I chose the subject of strangers was to take me out of my social comfort zone and to talk to people I would never have otherwise even made eye contact me. When i showed up at these drinks, I was aware that I would only know the host out of the whole bar of people. And yet as soon as I walked in, I saw Rebecca, and hey presto, I had a friend! We’ve since become Facebook friends, so you know, we’re official! Swooon.

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I’m counting every day, conscious of my tally and missed opportunity, and how long I have left to go until I have my weekly set…

Then some weeks are a breeze. I accumulate photos one, two, three, four until I almost have too many. Everywhere you go people look ripe for approaching.

These weeks give confidence and growth – by the end of these weeks, I’m rocking up to anyone, smooth talking the reluctant, nabbing twenty second windows of opportunity, flicking out business cards, promoting my work, riding high on spontaneity and zero anxiety. “I AM A PHOTO NINJA WARRIOR!” I think to myself (I actually do, cos I’m that cool).

And when this happens, the world is a bloody lovely place. And you just have to enjoy it, because you know that the next week could be a hard one full of empty streets, assholes and your own anti social, reclusive tendencies.

And you know what else? I reached and surpassed photo number 200 this week! Eeee!

Now let’s kick back and celebrate this silken wave of a week. It’s Friday night. You don’t wanna go out, do you? No. You wanna put on your cardigan, slip off your shoes, pour yourself a couple of glasses of something a little too strong, then dance like a maniac in your lounge to some classic Pulp until you fall over (or until the neighbours bang on the wall).

PRO TIP: It’s 200% better if you turn the lights off and pretend that Jarvis is dancing with you.